Grief & Loss Counselling for Adults & Teens
Loss is a universal experience, yet each person’s grief journey is unique. Authentic You offers grief and loss counselling in South Edmonton and online across Alberta. Our compassionate, evidence‑based counselling helps adults and teens process grief, find meaning and move forward after loss.
Serving Edmonton and Surrounding Communities
We provide grief counselling to adults and teens in Edmonton, Leduc, Beaumont, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, and nearby communities, with secure virtual sessions, including video and phone appointments, across Alberta. Our team of clinicians and Clinical Care Administrators are located in the Edmonton region and can assist with booking and support.
Our Values
Ethical, transparent, client-centered care
Respect for your pace, needs, boundaries, and lived experience
A confidential, comfortable environment where you can show up as you are
Inclusive and culturally aware practice
Normal and Complicated Grief
Most bereaved individuals adjust to loss over time, but some experience prolonged or complicated grief symptoms marked by intense longing, avoidance and difficulty functioning. Factors influencing grief include culture, coping skills, psychiatric history and available support. Complicated grief is associated with maladaptive thoughts and behaviours, and specialized interventions are recommended.
Evidence‑Based Interventions
Psychosocial interventions for complicated grief adapt CBT strategies such as exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring. Research shows that manualized complicated grief treatment (CGT), combining CBT with interpersonal therapy, produces higher response rates than interpersonal therapy alone. Other randomized controlled trials demonstrate that CBT with exposure or cognitive restructuring leads to greater improvement than supportive counselling. Combining medications such as antidepressants with grief‑focused psychotherapy can improve symptoms when grief is accompanied by depression.
Process loss and rebuild with meaning today.
Healing Mechanisms
Counselling helps you make meaning from loss, process painful emotions and develop coping skills. Effective grief interventions focus on:
Meaning‑making: Reconstructing your life narrative and integrating the loss
Emotional processing: Transforming overwhelming emotions into manageable responses
Practical coping skills: Planning for difficult dates, managing triggers and rebuilding routines
Tailored Support
We honour individual differences in grief. Some clients benefit from structured CGT or CBT; others find solace in mindfulness, narrative therapy or group support. Therapy may also address trauma when loss is sudden or violent. Our counsellors adapt treatment to your cultural background, beliefs and preferences.
FAQs
How do I know if my grief is complicated and/or prolonged?
Warning signs include persistent preoccupation with the deceased/loss beyond six months or longer, intense emotional pain that doesn’t ease, avoidance of reminders and inability to function. A psychologist can assess and guide you.
Can grief counselling be done online?
Yes. Virtual sessions, including video and phone appointments, allow you to access support from home and can be just as effective as in‑person therapy for grief processing.
Do I need medication?
Antidepressants and other psychiatric medications may help when grief is accompanied by major depressive and/or anxiety symptoms. Medication decisions are made collaboratively with your physician or psychiatrist.
Will therapy make me forget my loved one?
Counselling honours your connection to the person who died or the thing you had lost. The goal is not to forget but to integrate the loss into your life so you can move forward with meaning and hope.
Begin Your Journey with Authentic You
Authentic You offers compassionate grief and loss counselling in Edmonton and online across Alberta. Our evidence‑based therapies help you process grief, create meaning and rebuild your life.